Nursing drassiere



Oct. 3, 1961 I s. GLOGOVER 3,002,515

NURSING BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 29, 1960 ,Ma r05 and Car Z 255 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,002,515 NURSING BRASSIERE Stanley Glogover, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to De Luxe Girdlecraft Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 59,334 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-460) This invention relates to brassieres, and more particularly to nursing brassieres of the type wherein breast pockets or cups may be detached or opened, to expose the breast of the wearer, without requiring removal of the brassiere itself.

Various types of nursing brassieres have been proposed and produced in the past. In some, the breast pockets 01' cups were released at their tops and folded downward only. In others, the cups were detachable at their sides, adjacent the center of the brassiere, and were foldable outwardly to expose the breast. In still other prior brassieres the breast cups were detachable both at the top and at the center to enable more freedom to be had when exposing the breast. With these prior brassieres there still remained, when the breast cup was folded back, some support of the breast and bust. However, this partial support was had at the expense of full and unrestricted exposure of the breast and a maximum degree of freedom.

In accordance with the present invention not only may the necessary portions of the breasts be completely and fully exposed with a maximum amount of freedom, but also such exposure does not remove or appreciably adversely affect the normally desired adequate support of the bust and breast of the wearer. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved nursing brassiere wherein there is had substantially full and adequate support of the breasts at all times, even when one or both of the breasts is completely and freely exposed, this being characterized further by a maximum amount of convenience and comfort on the part of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved nursing brassiere as above set forth, which is simple in its construction, easy to operate, and reliable in its functioning at all times.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved nursing brassiere as above characterized, which may be economically produced by existing equipment, without requiring special parts, pieces or fixtures.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference are used to designate like components throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an improved nursing brassiere constructed in accordance with the invention, one of the breast cups being shown as partly folded aside to reveal the breast.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view generally similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the partially opened breast cup of FIG. 1 as now being fully open and swung aside to reveal the entire breast. FIG. 2 also shows the remaining breast cup partially opened at the top and swung downward, this indicating a different type of partial opening from that shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the figures, the nursing brassiere of the invention as shown therein comprises a body-encircling band indicated generally by the numeral 10, the said band having tapering side body portions 12 and rear body portions 14, the latter being secured together at their proximal ends by a suitable adjustable and releasable fastening pad or similar device 16.

The body band further comprises a pair of front, breast-supporting and encircling loops designated gener- 2 ally by the numerals 18, the said loops having distal and proximal sections 20 and 22 respectively, the loops 18 being joined at their proximal sections by a front medial pillar 24.

Secured to the tapered back portions 14 of the bodyencircling band 10 are shoulder straps 28, said straps having length-adjusting elements 30 and being secured, adjacent the length-adjusting elements 30, to the upper pointed portions 32 of the breast supporting loops 18.

In accordance with the present invention the breastencircling and supporting loops 18 are full fashioned and shaped, that is, they are constituted of more than merely sections of tape but instead comprise actual brassiere cuplike formations provided with large central access openings 34. More particularly the loops 18 are characterized by inner, bottom and side edges 36, 38 respectively which together constitute a smooth and unbroken curved line as clearly seen in FIG. 2. Also, each of the breasts supporting and encircling loops 18 has a wide, bustsupporting lower section 40 which widens and gradually merges with the said proximal and distal sections 22, 20 respectively of the loops, as is also clearly shown in FIG. 2. The proximal and distal sections 22, 20 of each loop extend upward in converging directions and are joined at the top portion 32 of the loop, which is somewhat pointed as shown.

By this construction of the loops 18 and the front portion of the brassiere, it will be observed that an appreciable support is had of the bust and breasts, such support being effective inv all areas where support is normally provided by a non-nursing brassiere except at the center portions of the cups, where the centers of the breasts are disposed. Such relatively full and complete support as effected by the loops 1% constitutes an important feature of the invention as will be later brought out, inasmuch as the exposing of the breasts for nursing purposes will not appreciably detract from the desired support.

By the invention a pair of breast cups 44 is provided, the said breast cups being permanently secured to the distal sections 20 of the loops 18, as by stitches 46. The stitches 4e are disposed generally vertically, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, and extend only along the generally straight, distal side edges of the cups 44 whereby the lower edges of they cups are completely free and unfastened, as may be readily observed in FIG. 2 where the right breast cup is shown as being completely swung away from the remainder of the brassiere.

Cooperable separable fastening elements comprising hanger loops 48 and hooks 50 are disposed respectively on the upper portions of the cup 44 and on the lengthadjusting elements 30, whereby the cups 44 may be readily secured to and removed from the front lower portions of the shoulder straps 28. Also, in accordance with the invention, additional cooperable separable fastening elements are provided on the front medial pillar 2d of the brassiere and the adjoining edges of the breast cups 44, such fastening elements being shown as books 54 secured to the cups, and eyes 56 secured to the medial pillar. The above cooperable fastening elements enable the cups 44- to be disconnected from the loops 18 except where they are secured to the distal sections 21 thereof, and it will be seen that when so disconnected the cups may be folded entirely away from the fronts of the loops, as seen in the left portion of FIG. 2, thereby to fully expose the breasts of the wearer with the greatest possible freedom, such construction further minimizing the likelihood of soiling of the breast cups during and after the nursing procedure. It is to be noted that when the breast cups are thus folded away, the brassiere still quite completely and adequately supports the bust and breasts of i atented Oct. 3,1961

3. the wearer, except for the center breast portions which are left free and fully exposed.

The attaching of the upper ends of the breast cups 1a to the lengthradjusting elements or buckles 33 effects an economy in the use of parts or components, while at the same time providing a secure separable top anchorage for the cups, and one which is easily released while being reliable in its functioning at all times.

It will, now be understood from the foregoing that I have provided a novel and improved nursing-type brassiere which has a number of advantages, including full and complete exposure of the breasts while maintaining a maximum degree of support thereof. The brassiere is relatively simple in its construction, economical to fabrieate, reliable in its functioning, and easy to operate.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A nursing brassiere comprising a band adapted to encircle the body, said band including a pair of front, breast-supporting and encircling loops having distal and proximal sections, and including a front medial pillar joining the proximal sections of said loops fixedly to each other; shoulder straps attached to upper ends of the front loops and to rear portions of the band; a pair of breast cups permanently secured to the distal sections of said loops; cooperable separable fastening elements on the upper portions of the breast cups and front portions of the shoulder straps; and cooperable separable fastening elements on the front medial pillar and adjoining edges of the breast cups, said loops being characterized by lower and side inner edges together constituting a smooth and unbroken curved line and by a wide bust-supporting: lower section gradually merged with the said proximal and distal sections, said fastening elements enabling the cups to be detached and swung free of said loops except where secured to the distal sections of the loops, and the entire lower edges of the cups being at all times free and unattached whereby the cups when detached at the fastener elements may be swung completely about the said distal sections to fully expose the breasts of the wearer.

2. A brassiere as in claim 1, in which there are lengthadjusting elements on the shoulder straps, and in which some of the first-mentioned cooperable fastening elements are carried by said length-adjusting elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,088 La Rue June 21', 1938 2,613,355 Coleman Oct. 14, 1952 2,842,137 Becker July 8', 1958 

